The above controller concept could be what the NX will be controlled with... or not!

As documented in depth in a recent NeoGAF thread by user Rösti, Nintendo filed a patent in October 2014 for the above U-shaped controller and the patent saw an international filing on September 18, 2015, and publication on April 22, 2016, via WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization).

Somewhat reminiscent of the Xbox 360's Wireless Speed Wheel, huh?

Most likely the controller will be applied for fitness games following Nintendo's interest in "quality of life" products. It's not a regular controller either as it boasts an accelerometer, gyrometer, temperature sensor and load sensor. Time to get fit in the 21st century!

A rough English translation of the patent application reads: "The main object of the present invention is to provide a novel training equipment, training system and an input device."

Below are more images of the patent's drawings:

​

More interestingly, the translations refer to "portable terminals" that can apparently be connected with the device to display a screen, exemplified in the image below (and more in the source):

Well this is definitely material for further speculations. Is it for the NX or to add once and for all the U in WiiU? What other applications will it have? And will it actually be released?

SOURCE

 

[kumikochan]

95% this is bullshit.
If the remaining 5% does come out to be true, Ninty could use a couple of those controllers as handles for their coffin.

Nintendo*

 

[FAST6191]

Nice concept for racing games. Bur for normal games? No way!

You reckon? I go into any game shop dealing in second hand stuff around here trying to sell a wheel and they are way overstocked on them, similar story for charity shops, car boot sales and other places I might find electrical junk, which I guess also means under my bed and in my wardrobe. People seem to get them, have a bit of fun and then remember a controller is by far the better method if you want to get down to the serious business of playing a game. It is not even as though it is awkward and annoying to set up but works better once you are there for racing games -- flight sims and whatnot then sure but racing games seem just this side of functional outside of an arcade setting, and I can not imagine this device trying to pull triple duty is going to do it justice.

Anyway it looks like I am going to have to learn how to laugh at Japanese patents if this keeps up. The load sensor thing has me curious though as I am not sure how well it is going to stand up in that arrangement; I spend a summer on the trowel rather than on the keyboard and my baseline "gentle squeeze" is apparently anything but which is not great for what is technically a cantilever beam.

Nintendo*

Wow, would you also be the kind of person that insists on using GCN rather than NGC for the gamecube?

 

[Selim873]

If anything, this will be the fitness portion of whatever NX will be. Even though final products NEVER look like what a patent intends to show if they're used, but normal games would NEVER use this. I would love to see how fitness would work on the new platform though.

 

[Prans]

wth is a load sensor?
[insert 3 letters word here] load sensor ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Nothing else mentioned but from what it sounds like, possibly a pressure sensor of sorts.

_____________________
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My take is this isn't the NX's main controller. More likely to be an add-on for specific games and others might adopt it if it turns out to be a surprise like this gem:

​

 

[XDel]

Well then.

 

[Justinde75]

You reckon? I go into any game shop dealing in second hand stuff around here trying to sell a wheel and they are way overstocked on them, similar story for charity shops, car boot sales and other places I might find electrical junk, which I guess also means under my bed and in my wardrobe. People seem to get them, have a bit of fun and then remember a controller is by far the better method if you want to get down to the serious business of playing a game. It is not even as though it is awkward and annoying to set up but works better once you are there for racing games -- flight sims and whatnot then sure but racing games seem just this side of functional outside of an arcade setting, and I can not imagine this device trying to pull triple duty is going to do it justice.

Anyway it looks like I am going to have to learn how to laugh at Japanese patents if this keeps up. The load sensor thing has me curious though as I am not sure how well it is going to stand up in that arrangement; I spend a summer on the trowel rather than on the keyboard and my baseline "gentle squeeze" is apparently anything but which is not great for what is technically a cantilever beam.



Wow, would you also be the kind of person that insists on using GCN rather than NGC for the gamecube?

I never said its the best way haha. Ninty always tried to attract little kids and casual gamers with easy to use controllers.

 

[kumikochan]

I never said its the best way haha. Ninty always tried to attract little kids and casual gamers with easy to use controllers.

Nintendo*

 

[FAST6191]

Nintendo*

What is the matter with ninty? It is a slang name that most commenting here would recognise and if not then probably be able to figure out?

 

[kumikochan]

What is the matter with ninty? It is a slang name that most commenting here would recognise and if not then probably be able to figure out?

No it's not, it's something a couple of idiots made up on GBATEMP usually around the age group of 12-16.

 

[Veho]

Looks silly, but the patent illustration is never the final design. If you don't know Japanese, the images alone say nothing about the inputs and sensors, and I'm not going to even guess at the functionality or features based off of the Google-translated text in the source. Not to mention that companies file for hundreds of patents just in case, and the majority of then never gets used in a product. Basically, this application tells us nothing.

Don't reinvent the wheel, gamepads work *perfectly fine*

...if all you'll ever play are action adventure games. There's so much room for improvement it's not even funny any more.

 

[Arecaidian Fox]

No it's not, it's something a couple of idiots made up on GBATEMP usually around the age group of 12-16.

*Facepalm* Just...let it go and move on. Even I use "Ninty" once and a while. Anyway, I really hope to the dear powers that be that this is a "quality of life" accessory, and not the actual controller. Else I'm afraid they have genuinely lost their minds this time, solely on their previous statements of moving away from the Wii name and style.

 

[FAST6191]

No it's not, it's something a couple of idiots made up on GBATEMP usually around the age group of 12-16.

Er no it is a long standing nickname/slang corruption.

Here is a gamespot thread from the better part of 7 years ago
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/nint...ot-show-this-monado-the-beginning-o-26902561/

Here is a 2008 thread from Eurogamer
http://www.eurogamer.net/forum/thread/124712

IGN 2006
http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/stop-using-ninty-please.120721896/

Eurogamer again 2006
http://www.eurogamer.net/forum/thread/55189

2004 on Emutalk
http://www.emutalk.net/archive/index.php/t-18359.html

2004 on Neogaf
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8961

2003 Gamesindustry.biz
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...mber-one-debut-for-ninty-with-pokemon-stadium

2003 The Sun (UK tabloid)
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/fun/gadget/197910/Nintys-got-a-new-baby.html

2003 Defined in Urban dictionary
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ninty

2002 Gamecritics.com
http://www.gamecritics.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-1544.html

2001 sonicstadium.org , not an amazingly popular site but now predating GBAtemp
https://www.sonicstadium.org/2001/06/stick-with-ninty-for-sonic-team-confused/

2001 Digitalspy forums
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?p=68557

Can't say I care for the term but it is accepted.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Given the patent details, I'm writing this one off as being part of the "lost" QOL platform

 

[kumikochan]

Er no it is a long standing nickname/slang corruption.

Here is a gamespot thread from the better part of 7 years ago
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/nint...ot-show-this-monado-the-beginning-o-26902561/

Here is a 2008 thread from Eurogamer
http://www.eurogamer.net/forum/thread/124712

IGN 2006
http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/stop-using-ninty-please.120721896/

Eurogamer again 2006
http://www.eurogamer.net/forum/thread/55189

2004 on Emutalk
http://www.emutalk.net/archive/index.php/t-18359.html

2004 on Neogaf
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8961

2003 Gamesindustry.biz
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...mber-one-debut-for-ninty-with-pokemon-stadium

2003 The Sun (UK tabloid)
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/fun/gadget/197910/Nintys-got-a-new-baby.html

2003 Defined in Urban dictionary
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ninty

2002 Gamecritics.com
http://www.gamecritics.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-1544.html

2001 sonicstadium.org , not an amazingly popular site but not predating GBAtemp
https://www.sonicstadium.org/2001/06/stick-with-ninty-for-sonic-team-confused/

2001 Digitalspy forums
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?p=68557

Can't say I care for the term but it is accepted.

It's still idiotic. You know what, why don't we all go calling Xbox '' XBOXY''. It's still an idiotic name given for Nintendo just because Sony ends with an Y.

 

[Arecaidian Fox]

It's still idiotic. You know what, why don't we all go calling Xbox '' XBOXY''. It's still an idiotic name given for Nintendo just because Sony ends with an Y.

I think "Xbone" is humiliating enough.

 

[Prans]

Not to mention that companies file for hundreds of patents just in case, and the majority of then never gets used in a product. Basically, this application tells us nothing.

Yeah being patented does not necessarily mean that it will be released. Nonetheless it's interesting to know what Nintendo has in mind.

 

[Abcdfv]

It's like people really can't even read the first post.

 

[chaosrunner]

looks like a s3x toy imo

 

[Haloman800]

Patents are such a joke. Artificial monopolies that limit creativity, competition and innovation. Thanks, government!

 

[FAST6191]

It's still idiotic. You know what, why don't we all go calling Xbox '' XBOXY''. It's still an idiotic name given for Nintendo just because Sony ends with an Y.

If your argument is unravelling.... anyway I can't say I would care for that term as that would potentially overload the word which is usually an adjective used to describe things that are of or like the xbox, or exemplars of the xbox style.